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Many thanks to the staff of Hosteling International - San Diego for their help in making available the source materials for this Christmas Trip wiki. The opinions expressed in this wiki are not those of HI-SD. Neither the authors of these articles nor HI-SD are to be held legally responsible for any actions taken as a result of what is presented in this wiki. This wiki is purely meant as an informational resource and is not a guarantee of conditions or situations that may arise on a Christmas Trip. What is the Christmas Trip? The HI-USA Christmas Trip is a 6-day cycling adventure around San Diego County. The Christmas Trip has been held every year since its start in 1955. The Trip begins every year on December 26th in San Diego, and after five overnights in San Diego and Riverside counties, ends on December 31st, back in San Diego. Total cycling mileage varies between 360 and 400 miles. Terrain varies from city to rural to mountain to desert. The Christmas Trip is Sag Wagon supported, and there are inside locations for sleeping bags, eating, entertainment and such every night. There is also space outside for those who prefer to camp outdoors, so if you want to do this, bring your tent! Breakfast and Dinner during the trip are provided. Lunch is on your own. Cooking and cleanup is also done by the participants, and everyone is expected to take part. The Christmas Trip Wiki is not only a place to read about the history of the Christmas Trip, but also to gain some insight as to what to expect during your week in the San Diego and Riverside County backcountry. Quick links to Christmas Trip Pages from past years 1950's, 1960s, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's__TOC__ Index of Christmas Trips Years in bold have individual trip information. Christmas Trips 1955 to 1959 - 1955 (The ride that became the "Christmas Trip"), 1956 (The first named "Christmas Trip"), 1957, 1958, 1959 Christmas Trips 1960 to 1969 - 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 Christmas Trips 1970 to 1979 - 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 Christmas Trips 1980 to 1989 - 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 Christmas Trips 1990 to 1999 - 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 Christmas Trips 2000 to 2009 - 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Christmas Trips 2010 to present - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Which trip is this? The First Christmas Trip got rolling in 1956 (although there was a ride in 1955 which the Trip was modeled after), and has occurred every year since. Simple arithmetic would indicate that the 2016 Christmas Trip would be the 61st edition. However the 2016 trip is referred to as the 60th Annual Christmas Trip. Why is this? The Origin of Confusion as to "Which Trip is this?" This disagreement in the number of Christmas Trips stems from the late 1980's, and shows that the count was lost in 1987-88. 1986 (31st Trip) - The Christmas Trip itinerary calls the Trip the "31st Annual AYH Christmas Trip". This is in line with the start of the Trip being in 1956, when it was first called the "Christmas Trip". 1987 (32nd Trip) - There are no references to a Trip number in the 1987 materials examined. 1988 (33rd Trip) - In 1988, in two separate American Youth Hostel (AYH) San Diego Council newsletters there is a note "See you on the 31st Annual AYH Christmas Bike Trip". In the recap of the 1988 Trip, the Trip Leader writes that this was "about the 32nd I think". 1989 (34th Trip) (HI-AYH 33rd) - The 1989 Trip was clearly called the "33rd Annual AYH Christmas Bike Trip", and that chronology was carried forward from that date on. A possibly apocryphal story has it that in 1989 an AYH staffer called Peter Kendall, thinking that he had gone on every Christmas Trip, and asked him how many he had gone on. He answered 32, and so the staffer reported that the upcoming Trip would be the 33rd. But Mr. Kendal neglected to mention that he had not gone on the 1965 Trip, meaning there were actually 32+1 previous Trips, so the upcoming Trip would be the 34th, but this fact was not communicated to the staffer. Annual vs. Anniversary 2006 (51st Trip) (HI-AYH 50th) - In early 2006 Hosteling International-San Diego (the successor organization to the AYH) realized that the "49th" Christmas Trip that had just taken place was actually the 50th actual Christmas Trip. They wanted to have a 50th celebration of the trip, and so to keep the numbers ascending properly they decided that the actual 51st trip would instead become the "50th Anniversary" of the First Annual Christmas Trip. This is entirely correct. 2007 (52nd Trip) (HI-AYH 51st) - However, the following year (2007) the ride was called the 51st Annual Christmas Trip, without accounting for the one-year difference between "Annual" and "Anniversary" (the 51st Anniversary would correspond with the 52nd Annual and not the 51st Annual). So the Christmas Trip went back to being off by one in the chronology, and this pattern has held since then. Facebook Group To keep up to date on the latest developments in the Christmas Trip Facebook community, go to the HI-USA Christmas Bike Trip group and join! Yahoo Group A Yahoo email group was set up by the 2004 Christmas Trip participants. The messages mostly relate to other tours or events that the posters are going on, along with news about the upcoming Christmas Trip. The description of the group on the group homepage is as follows: This group was started for participants of the 48th Annual Hostelling International - American Youth Hostels Christmas Bicycle Ride from San Diego to Palm Desert and back! Any past or potential future Christmas Trippers are welcome here. Subscription requires owner approval because of previous spammer activity. As already noted, the "48th Annual" is actually a bit of a misnomer. The 2004 Trip was actually the 49th Trip. Membership is open to any past, present or future Trippers. Please note that you need either to request a subscription to the group (see below), which a moderator then would review, or you will receive an invitation to the group if you have given your email address to the San Diego HI staff while filling out the application form for the Christmas Trip. If you receive an invitation, please just click the "Join this group!" button, no further action on your part is necessary. Some email programs block these type of email messages, or automatically move them into a "Junk" folder, so you may not realize that you have been sent an invitiation. In that case you would have to request another subscription, or dig the old one out of "Junk" folder. Lately this group has not been very busy, but you never know! To have a subscription request sent to you please send an email to ☀hiayhxmasride48-subscribe@yahoogroups.com mailto:hiayhxmasride48-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Trip Leaders Leaders from 1955 through 1968? Mrs. Alliene Elliott (1969 through 1988) - 20 rides Don Schroeder (1989 through 2008) - 19 rides, one year (need to determine which) where Don was not the leader. Who was? Linda (2009 through 20??) - TBD Theresa (2015 through 2016?) - TBD Christmas Trip Traditions from the 80's, 90's and 00's These Traditions evolve over time, and sometimes are rescheduled, shuffled or merely forgotten. Hot Seat - Usually happens the first night of the Trip. Everyone takes their turn and tells a little about themselves. Where you are from, what you do in real life, how many previous Christmas Trips you've done. Remember this is all in fun and is to break the ice and let everyone know who is on the Trip. The audience may then ask you questions. The most common question is "Do you have a date for New Year's?" This is shorthand for "Are you available?" This is not asked of everyone. After the tripper's time on the Hot Seat has ended, they collect the ride T-shirt and the next person is called onto the Hot Seat. Tire Changing Contest - This usually happens on the second night, in the Warner Springs Middle School Cafeteria. Contestants take turns taking off a tire, changing the tube, replacing the tire and putting 10 strokes of air into the tube. The all-time men's champion is Greg Zackowski, who has won the men's division of the contest every year since its inception (?). If you are planning to usurp Greg's title, start practicing, because Greg's record is 47 seconds. One of Greg's tactics is to wait until the end of the contest, by which time the tire has loosened and is more easily removed from the wheel. Ugly Cycling Outfit Contest - Held a few times in the Palm Desert stop on the morning of the fourth day. Although it shows up on the trip notes every year, it really isn't held anymore. Awards Night (now the T-shirt Exchange) - This event has its beginnings with a certain camper in 1987 who managed to get into the Sag Wagon for a portion of each of the first five days of the Trip. This in itself wouldn't be notable, except that he always managed to talk a good game, as if he was in great cycling shape and this Trip wasn't really all that hard. He took a lot of grief about this, and for the last night of the Trip (at the San Clemente AYH Hostel), several of the younger trippers got a white T-shirt, wrote "Captain Sag" on it and presented it to him. They also presented pieces of chocolate broken from a novelty item to several of the other trippers. The top prize went to Pete Penseyres for wearing a heart rate monitor during the trip. Mr. Penseyres was a well-known ultra rider and the other racers thought that the monitor (which was a rarity at that time) was a bit over the top. Giving a few awards to individuals quickly morphed into an Awards Night presentation where everyone received an award of some sort. From cycling-specific "Best female hammer", "King of the Mountains", "Nicest Bike", "Get a New Bike" to the less appropriate "Ding-a-Ling Lady", "Most Enamored of His Own Banana", "Mother Hen", etc., these awards were determined by "The Committee", a group of multi-trippers who gathered the funniest anecdotes and twisted them into some type of award. For several years the awards were written out with calligraphy or by computer. But eventually the work to make the Awards funny and appropriate became too much and the Committee passed into history. The present Awards are started after dinner by one of the trippers who normally make announcements (like Ralph Elliott), who explains the process and starts off the night by giving another tripper some sort of accolade/award/title. Then the named tripper goes up to the front of the room (in a sort of reprise of the Hot Seat) and gives another award to a third tripper, etc., until everyone present has received some recognition for their efforts. After giving an award, the presenter then takes a T-shirt from all the T-shirts that have been collected from the trippers during the trip for this purpose. Although it is ideal if no tripper is acknowledged twice before everyone else has already taken their turn, a few people do manage multiple appearances for whatever reasons. Of course, the support staff gets their share of appreciation as well, as their efforts to load/unload and drive the baggage truck, run the Sag Wagon, and buy food along the way do not go unnoticed. Stop at Vaughn's Market in Oceanside - This would happen on either the first day or last day of the Trip, depending on when the route went through Oceanside. Ever since the route became, more or less, etched into stone, that day would be on Day Six, after leaving Fallbrook and getting to within sight of the Pacific Ocean. The location of Vaughn's was key to the stop, and the variety of snacks and refreshments were second to none. However, times change, and business at the store dropped off. The store hosted the Day Six visit for the last time in 2004? (Have to check that with Ralph Elliott). Christmas Trip Sayings "Save the Cups!" - In past years the AYH supplied cups for use by the trippers for breakfast and dinner. By the early 90's they were buying 200 styrofoam cups a day, or 1000 for the entire trip. In 199? (when the trip stayed at the Trinity Lutheran church in Hemet) Mrs. Elliott started the slogan "Save the Cups!" to reduce the amount of waste. On the Group Photo morning in Hemet, Tony Olsen dressed in a lime green skinsuit and attached cups all over himself, running in front of the group shouting "Save the Cups!" Several other trippers attacked and subdued the "Cup Monster". Nowadays all trippers are expected to bring their own reusable cup, as well as utensils. "Why do we stop here? - Because we always stop here!" - This is a nod to the multi-trippers and locals who cycle the Trip route enough to know where the best places to fuel up are. When you know that there aren't any good stopping points for the next twenty miles, you tell the other trippers and everyone benefits. Also has the effect of stopping at the same Del Taco in Murrieta on Day 5 even though there are dozens of other places to eat in the vicinity. "Essence" - This is Ralph Elliott's term that sums up the atmosphere, camaraderie, ambience and hard work that goes into each Tripper's memories and signifies the feeling of being on the Christmas Trip. Essence is enhanced by such things as cycling in a raging hailstorm on Mount Laguna, barely staying upright on the I-10 frontage road going into a 30 mph crosswind, and fording through the stream crossings in De Luz Canyon. "Nobody Loses Weight on the Christmas Trip" - Occasionally people announce on the hot seat on Day 1 that one of their goals is to lose some some weight on the trip. Due to the plentiful (and usually tasty) food on the trip, other trippers are quick to point out that nobody loses weight on the Christmas Trip. The Most Common Christmas Trip Itinerary This is not the present Christmas Trip Itinerary, but was the route for around 20 years. Day 1 - San Diego to Pine Valley Day 2 - Pine Valley to Warner Springs Day 3 - Warner Springs to Palm Desert Day 4 - Palm Desert to Hemet Day 5 - Hemet to Fallbrook Day 6 - Fallbrook to San Diego Alternate Routes Many experienced (and sometimes inexperienced) trippers take alternate routes on all or part of some days. Take alternate routes at your own risk and be prepared to handle your own support-- there's no sag support unless you're on the official route for the day! Day 1 - Viejas Grade Rd.: this route takes a 4 mile climb on a well maintained dirt road to bypass the freeway. It starts shortly after Alpine and rejoins the route in Descanso. Day 2 - There are numerous alternates, including: Kitchen Creek on the Mt. Laguna ascent, Highway 79 (skips Sunrise Hwy) to Cuyamaca, the Mesa Grande bypass, going up Palomar Mt. (only if you are in real need of a killer climb) Day 3 - Some riders go up highway 371 through Anza and descend highway 74 into Palm Desert. This is much shorter route (~65 miles) than the century, although you do climb back up to 5500 feet, and can lead to having to unload the truck without much help. Day 4 - Highway 74 over the mountains, then going through Garner Valley before dropping into Hemet. This alternate has a few sub-alternates, including detouring to Idyllwild for lunch, or going through Anza and descending Bautista Rd (8 miles of unpaved road) into Hemet. Day 5 - (starting in 2012, Sage Road became the official route). The most common alternate from Hemet to Temecula is via Sage Rd. The group usually waits at the fork of E. Benton Rd (where the route leaves Sage) to avoid losing riders. The tricky parts of this route are the fork at E. Benton, and the transition from E. Benton Rd. to Rancho California Rd. Greg Zackowski seems to have an infinite supply of alternate routes from Temecula to Fallbrook, most of which include unpaved roads and grades as steep as 30%. Day 6 - is usually a love ride where the group rolls out together and most riders take the official route. The main group breaks up into smaller groups sometimes at lights and snack stops. The main alternate on this day is for riders who miss the turn onto Gilman and the Rose Canyon bike path and ride through La Jolla instead. Typical Menu Day 1 (PV) -''' Dinner: Spaghetti (meat and vegetarian sauces), (sometimes polenta, too), Garlic Bread, Salad Dessert: Cookies, Yogurt 'Day 2 (PV) -' Breakfast: Pancakes, Oatmeal, Cereal 'Day 2 (WS) -' Dinner: Chicken and Rice, Baked potatoes with toppings (veggies, cheese), Salad Dessert: Apple Pie (from Julian) 'Day 3 (WS) -' Breakfast: Cereal, Toast, Bagels, Fruit 'Day 3 (PD) -' Dinner: Make your own Burrito Dessert: Ice Cream 'Day 4 (PD) -' Breakfast: Pancakes, Oatmeal 'Day 4 (H) -' Dinner: Lasagna (veggie and meat), Garlic Bread, Salad. (the lasagna is almost always served late...) Dessert: Brownies (Hemet was Chili and Fallbrook was Lasagna until around 2011. Hemet has the best kitchen on the trip, and Fallbrook the second worst Pine Valley so it made sense to swap the two meals, since lasagna is about the most complicated meal and chili the simplest). 'Day 5 (H) -' Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Hash Browns 'Day 5 (F) -' Dinner: Chili, Salad, Cornbread, Rice Dessert: Ice Cream 'Day 6 (F) -' Breakfast: French Toast Salad is available most nights for dinner Dinners sometimes include leftovers from the previous night, or experimental dishes made from the leftovers. Vegetarian options are always available for dinner, but more specialized options, such as vegan or gluten free, usually are not. Breakfast always has Cereal, Fruit and Oatmeal available Well-known trippers Peter Kendal The Elliotts Pete Penseyres Rob Templin Tony Olsen Where are they now? Where the people are now who were frequent or famous Trippers in the past Locations/Photos of stopovers (This list is just for the last 20 years - more to come) Campo Community Hall Pine Valley Community Hall Descanso Community Hall Warner Springs Middle School Warner Springs Lodge San Clemente International Hostel Fallbrook - Church of Religious Science Fallbrook Community Center Fallbrook - St. Mark's Church Cathedral City Library Palm Springs Pavilion Ballroom Palm Desert - Hope Lutheran Church Family Center Borrego Springs Youth Center Borrego Springs - Methodist Church (name?) Julian - Camp Stevens Julian - Camp Marston Hemet - Trinity Lutheran Church Hemet - First Presbyterian Church Family Center Bad days Some of the days on the Christmas Trip in the last 20 years when the going got pretty tough even for the hardened Tripper. Arranged chronologically. 1987 Day 2 - Left Fallbrook for Julian. Only 60 miles but there was very little food on the way, Even Dudley's at Santa Isabel was closed. Many trippers bonked on the last five-mile uphill. Probably the only time that I heard Mrs. Elliott apologize to the trippers for there not being any food along the way (in years past when there wasn't lunch available the AYH Sag Wagon would stop along the route and have something available for the trippers). 1988 Day 2 - Left Campo late because the cleanup wasn't done on time on this 100+ mile day (at this time the rule was everyone waited until the cleanup was done, and the normal 9 am departure was delayed until 10 am). Riding conditions to Borrego Springs weren't bad, but most trippers ran out of daylight, and then the Trip was split between a church and a Youth Center, you had to find them in the dark, on a moonless night. No streetlights to guide you either! Dinner was at the church for everyone. Breakfast the next day was at the Youth Center. 1990 Day 4 - Leaving Cathedral City south to Salton City was great, with a tailwind going south. Then on the right turn to Borrego Springs the tailwind became a headwind. It was a Saturday and everything was closed in Borrego, and then you had to climb Banner Grade to Julian. On the way up it got colder, then it started raining. Once in Julian the route took you back onto Route 79 and went downhill for a little bit, then turned off onto a side road, to get to Camp Marston in the dark, and no streetlights. 1992 Day 4 - Palm Desert to Warner Springs (first time staying at the Warner Springs Middle School). You could either go the 100-mile route to Salton City, then Borrego Springs, up Montezuma Grade to Ranchita, then to Warner Springs, and get rained on the latter half of the ride. Or you could take the 60-mile shortcut, climb Seven-Level Hill and get rained on all the way from Anza to Warner Springs. Either way, you got cold and soaked. 2002 Day 4 - Strongest headwinds anyone could remember once the route left Palm Springs. Mei was blown off her bike several times. 200? Day 1 - Strong Santa Ana winds made the first day into Pine Valley a pretty tough haul. At least it was warm! 2005 Day 3 - Constantly rainy, cold and of course windy day from Warner Springs to Palm Desert. Most of the trippers sagged at some point on this 100-mile day. 2005 Day 6 - Leaving Fallbrook under threatening skies and going south into a brisk headwind. It started to drizzle, then it got harder and harder. A very wet and miserable way to end the Christmas Trip! 2007 Day 2 - Started hailing on the way down Mt. Laguna. There was a vicious cross-wind at the same time, and the hail was sticking to the road. Mostly drizzles by the time the riders reached Julian, and all the way to Warner Springs. Note that there aren't any notably bad days on Day 5 (yet). That may change, come join the Trip and find out for yourself! Demographics changes Juniors - In the United States Cycling Federation (USCF), Juniors are from 14 to 17 years or age. For years a group of Juniors (up to 30?) went on the Christmas Trip, led by adult tripper Howard Dorflinger. Many of the unique characters, stories and traditions on the Christmas Trip are a result of the antics of the Juniors. How times change - In 2007, the youngest person on the Trip was 22. List of items to take HI-AYH used to send out a very detailed list with the post-registration packet that was mailed to each tripper, but a few years ago they started including only an abbreviated list of items. An attempt at reconstructing the original list (with some enhancements and editorial comments) was made and is posted here. The abbreviated version follows: '''Your bicycle in very good condition! Pump, tires & tubes, patch kit and tire irons - Practice changing tires and adjusting brakes, cables, seats, etc. Water bottles (at least two) Lock for your bike Fanny pack or a small backpack to carry extra jacket, socks, wallet etc. Shorty fenders in case it rains Your Helmet!!! Suggested items (you never know!) - Extra spokes, rear brake and derailleur cables, chain tool, lubricant, 10-12 inches of PVC tape wrapped around something and wire rolled with the tape or spokes for repairs ID and money for lunches and snacks each day, sunglasses, lipbalm Medical information - including your In Case Of Accident info if under 18 years of age. Map and itinerary. If you are not sure of finding your own way you might need maps of San Diego, Imperial and Riverside counties. Cell Phone and Trip Leader contact information GORP - Gu or other emergency energy supply Training - It's always a good idea to hit a few hills and do two or three consecutive days of at least 50 miles a day within a week or so before the Christmas Trip Duffle bag or soft suitcase to pack/unpack your stuff every day Spare cycling clothes (in case of rain) and your extra clothes for the evening. It's not generally a good idea to wear the same items every day for six days Bring what you normally wear cycling BUT remember: it may rain, it may snow, it may be hot and it may be windy. It may also be perfectly beautiful! Remember short and long pants, long sleeved shirt and short sleeved shirt Cycling gloves (more than one pair) extra gloves for cold/wet weather Once again - Your Helmet!!! Rain gear Your sleeping bag and air mattress or foam pad Do Not Forget (Because people do!) Jeans - sweater- shirt- jacket - shoes - socks - underwear - towel - toothbrush - toothpaste - comb or brush - soap - sunscreen - swim suit - warmups Because HI-USA does not supply them you MUST BRING utensils for yourself (Camping utensils work fine) and a cup for yourself Extra items you may find necessary - Camera, reading material, cards, yo-yo Weather to expect The bottom line is to expect anything! The Christmas Trip has seen it all. Although the usual day is in the 50's and clear, the Trip has seen Santa Ana winds, drizzle, winter storms, snowy roads, icy roads, you name it. It is advisable to have some sort of bicycle fenders with you. Remember to pack your cold weather cycling clothing along with your rain gear. Cycling conditions/terrain 100% of the Christmas Trip is on paved roads. The absence of snow or ice on these roads is not guaranteed, especially at elevations of 3000 feet and over. There have been instances of "black ice", which is melted and refrozen water on roads that is extremely difficult to cycle on. Your best bet is to coast (if you're brave) or walk your bike over any "black ice" you may come across. Be aware that "black ice" is just as dangerous for cars as well. Snow is another visitor to roads on the Christmas Trip. Sometimes not only is the road up Mt. Laguna (S1 aka Sunrise Highway) snow covered, but the alternate road (Rt. 79) through Cuyamaca is also snowed over. Needless to say, it can be difficult cycling. Sudden turns, even the shifting of your weight back and forth can be enough to cause your tires to lose traction. It is always a good idea to pedal in a straight line. Look at your tire tracks sometimes and see if they are constantly crossing and re-crossing each other while you pedal. That is an indicator that you are putting side pressure on your frame while pedaling which causes the bike to rock back and forth. To counteract this, try to keep your back and hips steady while you pedal. You will be able to hold a line better and give your bike more stability while cycling up the odd mountain or two in the rain/snow/hail that you will eventually run into. Please note that if you do any side trips, there is a real possibility that you will not be on paved roads. Ask the locals about the road conditions. Remember that you are not on the designated course and although the traffic may be very sparse, should you find yourself with an unrepairable condition, you may be in for a very long wait. Sag wagon coverage of every possible alternative route is not possible. Outside of the range of civilization, cell phones may not operate as you expect. As much of the Trip is in the backcountry, cell coverage is spotty and undependable. You have been warned. Tripper Record Holders Many of these records are just hearsay at the moment, and since the rosters from all trips are not likely to ever be available, they will likely never be fully verified. Any information from past trips in this regard is welcome. For the purpose of this section, only those who have cycled the entire Christmas Trip (no days off, no sag wagon pickups), can be considered. Youngest Male (Solo) - 14, held by several Juniors, working on getting some names. Youngest Male (Tandem) - Unknown. I remember a boy of 10 from the early 90's but I need more information. Youngest Female (Solo) - Unknown. Youngest I remember is a co-ed who was a junior(?) in college from Boulder, CO who did one trip in the 90's. I would think that the record is something like 17 or 18. Youngest Female (Tandem) - 7, Catrina Holmes (San Francisco area) on the 2003 trip. Catrina also did the 2004 trip on tandem. Oldest Male and Female - TBD